| Glassy tiger | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Underside | |
 | |
| Upperside | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Nymphalidae |
| Genus: | Parantica |
| Species: | P. aglea |
| Binomial name | |
| Parantica aglea (Stoll, 1782) | |
| Synonyms | |
Danais aglea | |
Parantica aglea, commonly known as the glassy tiger, [1] [2] is a butterfly found in the Indomalayan realm. The species is a member of the Danainae subfamily of the Nymphalidae family. [1] [2]
Two subspecies are recognized, but neither form shows consistent markings or habitat preferences. In the British Museum's collection, there are specimens of the true Parantica aglea aglea from Myanmar, as well as others, indistinguishable from the typical Parantica aglea melanoides, from Mysore. [3]
The ground color of this species is a sooty black, with subhyaline bluish-white streaks and spots. On the forewing, the 11th vein is fused with the 12th.
Additionally, the first interspace of the upperside forewing has two relatively long, broad streaks that unite at the base and are truncated outwardly. The cell contains a very broad, somewhat club-shaped streak, traversed by two fine black lines. Interspaces 2 and 3 display basal spots, an irregular discal series of three spots and two elongated streaks, as well as a subterminal series of spots. These two series curve inward opposite the apex of the wing, with the latter continuing along the apical half of the costa. Finally, a terminal row of smaller paired spots appears within the interspaces.
On the hindwing, interspaces 1a and 1b exhibit broad, long streaks extending from the base. Interspace 1 and the cell each contain two streaks that unite at the base, with the pair in the cell having a short streak positioned obliquely between their apices. This is followed by a series of broad, elongate, inwardly pointed spots in interspaces 2–8, and then by somewhat irregular rows of subterminal and terminal spots. The underside is similar, although the markings and spots are sometimes slightly ill-defined and blurred. [3]
The antennae are black; the head and thorax are black with white spots, and the abdomen is blackish-brown with an ochraceous underside. A male secondary sex mark is present in form 2. [3] [4]
The differences between the northern and eastern forms are as follows: the wings are generally longer and narrower, with hyaline markings, especially in interspace 1 of the forewing and in the cells of both forewing and hindwing, being much broader. In many specimens, the black ground color in these areas is reduced to a thin black line enclosed within the subhyaline marking. On the underside, the streaks are often blurred and diffuse. [3] The wingspan ranges from 70 to 100 mm.
The subspecies Parantica aglea aglea is found in Sri Lanka and the Western Ghats, extending north to Pune and the Niligiris.
Parantica aglea melanoides is distributed across the Himalayas from Kashmir to Nepal, as well as in the Sylhet and Chittagong regions of Bangladesh, in Assam, India, in Myanmar, and in Tenasserim. [3]
The dogbanes Vincetoxicum bracteatum and Vincetoxicum dalzellii both serve as food plants for the caterpillars.[ citation needed ]
White, pearl-shaped eggs are laid on the undersides of leaves and hatch after about three days. [5]
The caterpillar is dark claret brown, featuring two round chrome-yellow spots on each segment, with smaller bluish-white spots scattered between them, clustering to form a conspicuous line along the sides. The legs and ventral surface are purplish-black, while the tentacula, positioned as usual on the 3rd and 12th segments, are claret brown. [3]
The plants that host Parantica aglea larvae include Calotropis gigantea , Ceropegia bulbosa , Ceropegia lawii , Cryptolepis dubia , Vincetoxicum indicum , and Vincetoxicum flexuosum . [5]
The pupae of Parantica aglea are green and spotted with silver, black, and gold, and they have a very tight shape behind the thorax. [3]
The species is found in the Western Ghats mountains, northeastern India, Sri Lanka, and the Malay Peninsula. [3]
Tirumala limniace, the blue tiger, is a species of butterfly found in South Asia, and Southeast Asia that belongs to the brush-footed butterfly family, Nymphalidae. More specifically it is part of the crows and tigers or danaid group. This butterfly shows gregarious migratory behaviour in southern India. In some places, it may be found in congregations with Danaus genutia, Tirumala septentrionis, Euploea sylvester, Euploea core, Parantica aglea, and at high elevations, with Parantica nilgiriensis, on Crotalaria.
Pareronia valeria, the common wanderer or Malayan wanderer, is a medium-sized butterfly of the family Pieridae, that is, the yellows and whites, and is found in India and Southeast Asia. The butterfly found in India is sometimes considered as a separate species, Pareronia hippia.
Papilio polymnestor, the blue Mormon, is a large swallowtail butterfly found in south India and Sri Lanka. In India it has bee recently reported from the eastern part of India, from the State of Jharkhand. It is the "state butterfly" of the Indian state of Maharashtra. With a wingspan of 120–150 mm, it is the fourth largest butterfly of India.
Papilio (Chilasa) agestor, the tawny mime, is a swallowtail butterfly, native to Indian subcontinent and widely found across Asia. The butterfly belongs to the mime subgenus, Chilasa, of the genus Papilio or the black-bodied swallowtails.
Papilio clytia, the common mime, is a swallowtail butterfly found in south and southeast Asia. The butterfly belongs to the subgenus Chilasa, the black-bodied swallowtails. It serves as an excellent example of a Batesian mimic among the Indian butterflies.
Papilio (Chilasa) epycides, the lesser mime, is a swallowtail butterfly found in India and parts of South-East Asia. The butterfly belongs to the mime (Chilasa) subgenus or the black-bodied swallowtails. It is a mimic of a common Indian Danainae, the glassy tiger butterfly.
Papilio (Chilasa) paradoxa, the great blue mime, is a swallowtail butterfly found in India and parts of South-East Asia. The butterfly belongs to the mime subgenus, Chilasa, of the genus Papilio. It is an excellent mimic of different species of Euploea.
Aporia agathon, the great blackvein, is a mid-sized butterfly of the family Pieridae, that is, the yellows and whites, which is found in Nepal, India, China and Southeast Asia.
Parantica melaneus, is a butterfly found in Asia that belongs to the crows and tigers, that is, the danaid group of the brush-footed butterflies family.
Parantica sita, the chestnut tiger, is a butterfly found in Asia that belongs to the crows and tigers, that is, the danaid group of the brush-footed butterflies family.
Parantica nilgiriensis, the Nilgiri tiger, is a butterfly found in the Western Ghats of India south of the Konkan. It belongs to the danaid group of the brush-footed butterflies family.
Euploea mulciber, the striped blue crow, is a butterfly found in India and Southeast Asia that belongs to the crows and tigers, that is, the danaid group of the brush-footed butterflies family.
Euploea klugii, the brown king crow or king crow, is a butterfly from the family Nymphalidae found in India and Southeast Asia. The species was first described by the entomologist Frederic Moore in 1858.
Idea malabarica, the Malabar tree nymph, is a large butterfly found in peninsular India. that belongs to the danaid group of the family Nymphalidae. It is found in forest clearings and above the forest canopy.
Jamides bochus, the dark cerulean, is a small butterfly found in Indomalayan realm that belongs to the lycaenids or blues family. The species was first described by Caspar Stoll in 1782.
Ideopsis vulgaris, the blue glassy tiger, is a butterfly that belongs to the crows and tigers, that is, the danaid group of the brush-footed butterflies family.
Cethosia nietneri, the Tamil lacewing, is a species of nymphalid butterfly found in Sri Lanka and south India. The species name is after John Nietner who obtained specimens of the butterfly from Ceylon from which it was described.
The Indian fritillary is a species of butterfly of the nymphalid or brush-footed family. It is usually found from south and southeast Asia to Australia.
Calinaga buddha, the freak, is a species of butterfly in the Nymphalidae family, Calinaginae subfamily. It is found from Muree, Punjab, Pakistan to Assam, India and from Sikkim, India to north Myanmar. The subspecies C. b. brahmaButler, 1885 is found in Yunnan, China and Assam India, and the subspecies C. b. formosanaFruhstorfer, 1908 is found in Taiwan.
Pareronia hippia, the common wanderer or Indian wanderer, is a medium-sized butterfly of the family Pieridae, that is, the yellows and whites. It is found in India. Some authors consider this as a subspecies of Pareronia valeria.
One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain : Bingham, Charles Thomas (1907). Fauna of British India. Butterflies Vol. 2. Taylor & Francis. pp. 18–19. One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain : Moore, Frederic (1890–1892). Lepidoptera Indica. Vol. I. London: Lovell Reeve and Co. pp. 55–57.
